Dance

July 23, 2014

Batalha do Passinho, a documentary about Rio's passinho dance craze and the city's passinho dance competition, has come to New York.

The documentary debuted on July 22 at Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and was followed by a passinho dance party featuring dancers from the film. Even though they flew in this morning, the dancers still managed to wow the crowd and even teach their moves to curious partygoers. The movie will be shown again on August 2 at the Film Society at Lincoln Center, and the passinho dancers will perform at Lincoln Center Out of Doors on July 24 and July 26.

I've been following the passinho craze for awhile, and interviewed the documentary's director last year. The movie is an excellent way to learn about the dance and how it's become a cultural phenomenon in Rio. But for international audiences, here's some extra context that may help you understand more about the dance's significance and why it's a big deal that it's being featured in New York.

Funk, the music that passinho is set to, has been around for awhile but has had a complicated history. Akin to rap, it's had a stigma signifying poverty and violence attached to it, despite its popularity. Even though wealthy youth sometimes attend funk parties in favelas, a person who likes funk, a funkeiro, is associated with a person who lives in a favela. For this reason, it is a huge deal that funk and passinho are being featured at Lincoln Center, the stage for some of the world's greatest music and dance companies.

The film doesn't delve too deeply into the dancers' lives, but the truth is that it's refreshing to see a documentary focused on Rio's favelas that's not devoted to poverty and violence. The fact is, though, that passinho represents a potential opportunity for young people who get involved in the scene, and an alternative to another dominant force in their communities: drug trafficking. One of the dancers says in the film that his "dream is to be recognized," which to me sounded like not only recognizing his dancing but also recognition for being more than just a favelado, a kid from a favela.

Another element that I found interesting about the passinho is how it's a reflection of other elements of Brazilian culture: a fusion of styles incorporating foreign and Brazilian influences.

The next important thing to know is that passinho's transition from becoming popular in the favelas and being picked up by major media was a huge step. Xuxa, one of the country's most famous entertainers, featured several of the dancers on her show, as shown in the film; and Globo, the country's biggest media conglomerate and TV station, has showcased the dance on numerous shows. One of them is Esquenta, a show that has brought favela culture and issues to mainstream audiences. In some of these cases, dancers speak openly about where they're from. Just a few years ago, "the idea of asking someone what favela they were from, on national television, was unthinkable," wrote Rio Real blog's Julia Michaels last year.

Passinho also reveals the shifts taking place in Brazil, notably conspicuous consumption by the new middle class and the power of digital inclusion. The film highlights the fashion and aesthetic styles associated with passinho, which recalls funk ostentatação, or ostentatious funk, where performers sing about consumption and fans seek expensive name brands to imitate artists. Plus, this type of consumption is part of being a member of Brazil's new middle class. And finally, passinho owes its quick spread to social networks like Orkut and Facebook and videos on Youtube. With more young people having access to the internet and smartphones, passinho not only spread throughout Rio, but also in Brazil. Plus, internet exposure from artists like Ricky Martin featuring passinho dancers have helped bring the dance worldwide.

April 08, 2014

Ingrid Silva was eight years old when she started doing ballet. Like other little girls, she started out going to classes with a sibling—in her case, her brother—and worked her way up to professional training and eventually, achieved an accomplishment many only dream of: getting into a company.

But Ingrid isn't your typical ballerina.

The daughter of a domestic worker and a retired Air Force employee, she grew up in Rio de Janeiro''s Benfica neighborhood, a working-class area not far from the city's famed Maracanã Stadium. At around age 13, she started getting serious about ballet, quitting swimming and other sports to dedicate herself to dance.

Ingrid started out dancing in Mangueira at Dançando Para Não Dançar, a program based in a dozen of Rio's favelas that provides classical ballet training to kids and teens who could otherwise not afford dance classes. It's had a great track record in training dancers that go on to train at the city's esteemed Teatro Municipal school and later, to dance in companies abroad.

She was one of the success stories of the program, and also trained at the Teatro Municipal school and with Deborah Colker's company, as well as appearing in the movie Maré, Nossa História de Amor. She danced in college and then in 2007, she got into the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH)'s summer intensive, and went to New York to train. A year later at age 19, she went back to New York to join DTH's ensemble, and later went on to join the company.

Now 25, Ingrid is disarmingly self-assured and mature. She throws around words like balance, priorities, discipline, and focus talking about her path as a dancer. She told me about how hard it was coming to New York by herself. "I had to get by on my own. That's when I grew up and learned to appreciate what my parents had taught me," she said.

When she first arrived, she didn't speak English or know anyone. She first lived with roommates, and missed the community atmosphere she'd grown up with, as well as her family. Later, she lived with a friend of her grandmother's, an older Brazilian woman, where she felt more at home. Now, she lives in her own place with her new puppy, and peppers her Portuguese with occasional English words.

I asked Ingrid about role models. While she said she looked up to Brazilian ballerinas like Ana Botafogo and Cecília Kerche, she learned that she had to inspire herself. For her, finding a role model isn't just wanting to be like a dancer. "It's how to get there," she explained. Because of that, she said she's become her own role model. She's gotten this far by herself, she says, "as a black dancer from a [low-income] community in Rio without my parents having the financial means to get me there."

Race is a huge issue in the ballet world, and not just in Brazil. At the Teatro Municipal school, Ingrid was one of four black dancers in her class of 25. And when she was younger, she wanted to join the Teatro Municipal company. But she later realized that Rio's premiere ballet company doesn't have a single black female dancer, and only a handful of black male dancers. For black female dancers in Brazil, she said, you have to go abroad to have a shot at ballet.

In the United States, the situation isn't great, but there are opportunities like the DTH, along with a few black dancers appearing in some of the country's top companies. Ingrid explained that racism in ballet is a shame, because in reality, "it's for everyone."

Ingrid dancing at New York's Greene Space in 2013

Still, she insists that her success has nothing to do with her race or background. "I'm not here because I'm poor," she said. "I'm here because of my dancing." She recalls always being one of the best in her class growing up, and worked hard at her art with the hopes of being treated equally.

Ingrid would like to go back to Brazil someday, though she doesn't know how many dance opportunities she'd have there. Plus, she points out, ballet doesn't get much recognition there. For now, Ingrid wants to focus on her dance career and later on wants to study psychology and become a dance psychologist.

These days, Ingrid is on the road much of the time with the company. She travels so much she lost track of how many times she's traveled this year. She estimates the company has around 50 to 60 trips annually to perform around the United States and throughout the world. But she can feel an extra element of home at work. Out of 18 dancers in the company, three are from Brazil, including Ingrid.

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Dance Theater of Harlem is performing at Lincoln Center in New York from April 23 to 27. Get tickets here. Ingrid will be dancing in Gloria, Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, and Contested Space.

May 27, 2013

Though Rio's favelas have long been a symbol of poverty and their people considered outsiders by the city's wealthier residents, favela culture is slowly gaining inroads in Rio and even Brazilian culture. For a long time, funk parties were the exception, sometimes drawing middle- and upper-class partygoers to the favelas. But funk was still seen by many as an inferior musical genre, something belonging to the city's poor. Favela residents would often fear revealing their home address to potential employers, and some still do. For a long time, there was a stigma attached to living in a favela.

But to some extent, that's changing. Salve Jorge, a popular Globo novela that just ended, prominently featured characters from Rio's Complexo de Alemão favela, including real people like Renê Silva. Esquenta, a Globo program which often features culture and residents from favelas, recently brought on children from a Rio favela to the show. The host, Regina Casé, asked them which communities they were from. "Maybe only two years ago, the idea of asking someone what favela they were from, on national television, was unthinkable," writes Rio Real blog's Julia Michaels.

And now, a full-length documentary called "Batalha do Passinho" or "Battle of the Passinho," hits Brazilian theaters next month. It details the makings of a cultural movement born in Rio's favelas, featuring young people who developed a new dance form set to funk music. I spoke to Emílio Domingos, director of the film, about the movie and the passinho.

The passinho, or little step, is a combination of dances like break dancing and pop-and-lock, along with traditional Brazilian dances like samba and frevo. It's almost always improvised, and like break dancing, involves dancers facing off against one another. Started in 2011, a competition called Batalha do Passinho seeks to find the best passinho dancer. "When I saw a boy do frevo to funk [music], incorporating elements from capoeira, I was sure there was a cultural revolution going on," Julio Ludemir, the creator of the competition, toldFolha. The competition is different from funk parties, late-night affairs sometimes attended by heavily armed drug traffickers. The event attracts families and dancers alike, and the show is now sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Coca Cola, among other entities. In the final round, 16 dancers go up against each other for 45 seconds. The final of the most recent competition was broadcast one of Brazil's most watched weekend programs on Globo. The winner, a 16-year old from Nova Iguaçu, won R$20,000, which he said he would use to take a class and help his mom.

Domingos, who earned a degree in social sciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, has worked for a long time with funk culture in Rio. For over a decade, he was a DJ for a funk party featuring international and Brazilian hip hop and "black music," and has worked on research for documentaries since 1997. He made his first film in 2000, looking at Rio's hip hop scene, and has made a total of 11 movies, several about funk music and culture. He also directs music videos, and works as a researcher on Esquenta. His latest film project is directing a film about the Vasco da Gama soccer team, slated for release later this year.

"Batalha do Passinho" came about when Domingos was asked to be a judge at the competition. He'd seen the dance on Youtube beginning in 2008, but hadn't been to the competition. "I was really impressed with their movement, because it was fast and sophisticated," said Domingos. But he wanted to learn more about the dancers, and decided to make a short film. He ended up with a full-length documentary.

Domingos wants to bring the passinho to a larger audience. "The culture of the passinho is an expansive thing that brings together youth from different places, who often live far away from each other," said the director. It's not just a style of dance, but is also evidence of growing digital inclusion in favelas and a chance for social mobility. "They created a strategy to disseminate the passinho," explained Domingos. "Youtube is essential for them." Using the online video site, dancers not only developed an audience in Brazil and beyond, but used it as a place for debating, discussing, and learning the dance. The dancers tend to use basic technology, such as cell phone cameras and point-and-shoot cameras. The internet is so important for spreading the dance, said Domingos, that some who qualify for the competition had never been to a dance or performance before, learning the steps entirely online.

Changing one's reality is also important to dancers. Many of the young men work and do the dance as a hobby, hoping to turn it into a full-time source of income. "The big challenge is to transform this visibility into financial recognition...it's difficult," said Domingos. Some dancers say they spurned selling drugs in order to dedicate themselves to the dance.

The other goal of the film is to change people's minds about funk and those who are part of the culture. Domingos explained that some are prejudiced against not only those who live in favelas, but funk music itself. One of the first things that happens when police pacify a favela is to ban funk parties. Despite the popularity of passinho videos online, comments reveal how some people view the dance and music. "I never really understood the criminalization that people attribute to funk," said Domingos. "It's a story of what's happening."

The passinho competition and the movie have had success in changing people's minds. "A part of society is quite surprised by the passinho, with its sophistication," said Domingos. He always brings those featured in the movie to screenings so audience members can meet them. "[The dancers] are
conscious of the artistic power of the passinho," Domingos said.

However, the reality of Rio's favelas is a part of the story, too. One of the young men Domingos featured in the film was murdered last year, likely by security guards. Domingos says he was an icon who developed his own style, and was called the "King of the Passinho." Though he worked in manual labor at night, he was starting to get paid opportunities to dance. The movie is something of an homage to him, Domingos noted.

January 06, 2013

There are plenty of places in New York where you'll find gringos swapping stories of trips to Brazil and their latest Portuguese class, but one place you may not expect is in the halls of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the top dance schools in the country. Through the Ailey Extension, which offers open classes to absolute beginners and seasoned dancers alike, students can learn samba from the indefatigable cariocaQuenia Ribeiro. To the beat of five excellent percussionists (which is quite a thrill for an open dance class), students learn samba no pé and Bahian-style samba to the rhythms of samba carioca and samba-reggae as well as maculelê, afoxé, maracatu, xaxado, and frevo.

Not only is Quenia's class incredibly fun and suitable for a variety of levels, but like other classes at the Ailey Extension, it's really judgement-free, unlike other big dance schools that offer open classes in New York. Quenia's something of a samba ambassador; she runs her own samba group in New York, and has performed in Brazil, China, Greece, and throughout the United States.

I spoke to Quenia about her experience teaching samba in New York and her perspectives on Americans' interest in Brazilian culture.

Where did you study ballet, and why is it important for learning samba?

I studied classical ballet for 18 years in Rio de Janeiro. I
started dancing when I was six. Some of the schools I attended were
Teresinha Goulart Escola De Ballet in Tijuca and later at the Escola
Estadual de Danca Maria Olenewa. I also received a scholarship at Dalal
Achcar.

In response to your question, you don't need to have a ballet
background to dance samba. For me it helped and I feel a firm
background in ballet is helpful for dancers in general. I always tell
students of all ages that they need to keep their minds open to all
forms of dance; just because you dance one thing it does'nt mean you
shouldn't try and learn from other genres of dance as well.

When did you move to New York? Why did you decide to move?

I moved from Rio de Janeiro to New York City in 1995.
My mother and brother were already living here and I was always very close
with them. I think I inherited my mother's adventurous spirit and I
wanted to be in a new place that had a lot different cultures and people
of different interests and backgrounds.

When did you begin giving classes at Ailey, and why did they decide to start offering samba?

I have been teaching at the Ailey Extension for about seven
years. At the time, the Ailey Extension was interested in expanding to
include more ethnic dance forms and I had been teaching at various studios in
New York since 1997. I was approached by the director of the extension to
teach samba and Afro-Brazilian and I have been there ever since.

What brings students to your class: interest in dance, in Brazil, or both? After taking your class, do students consider going to Brazil?

My students attend classes for a variety of
reasons. Some of them have a great passion for various forms of dance and
a solid dance background, whereas others are looking for a fun upbeat
way to exercise that has some history and substance attached to it. As a student, you don't necessarily have to have direct roots to the
culture to appreciate, learn, and participate; just a real interest.

Some
of my students are getting ready to take a trip or have just returned
and are intrigued by Brazil's culture, music, and dance. Others are
interested through their own cultures; maybe they have some roots in
Africa, or through the diaspora in the Caribbean or South America. Brazil
also has a real appeal to people the world over. I think movies and
media has shaped many people's ideas about Brazil in both negative and
positive ways and the truth is that Brazil is not one thing: it is really
diverse culturally and geographically, and has many faces.

During your time living in the United States, have you noticed any changes in Americans' perspectives on Brazil?

In my environment in the United States, people were always
really interested in Brazil. When I moved here, I started taking capoeira classes, so there were a lot of people from the U.S. and from Europe,
Japan, etc. who were already very interested in the culture of Brazil.
Now, I think in general people are really more clued in to Brazil as an
economic and global player through the media and that has expanded
people's ideas and consciousness as well.

Many foreigners tend to think of samba and soccer when they think of Brazil. What's your take on that?

Brazil is really famous for samba and soccer so they're always going to
be associated with Brazil in many people's minds. That is not say that
Brazil does not have a lot of other things to offer as well. I think in
general people don't really understand the cultural power or
significance of samba to many Brazilians. It's a social phenomenon: it's
something that came from simple people that transcended color and
monetary and social barriers. The thing is that samba and soccer are a
combination of a lot of different elements and that is why they are so
recognizeable to non-Brazilians. They are both living art with many
colors and variations, highly developed and evolving, but firmly
connected to the roots and history of Brazil.

April 24, 2011

This weekend, I saw DanceBrazil for the first time in the company's last performance of the spring season at the Joyce. It's about time, since the New York-based company has been around since 1977 and are one of those Brazilian cultural institutions in the US that has gained critical acclaim the world over. I'm a little skeptical when it comes to modern dance, but I was thrilled to discover that thanks to the company's director, Jelon Vieira, there's a wonderful blend of both contemporary dance, capoeira, and other Brazilian dance forms, all set to amazing, mostly live music.

A little background: originally from Salvador, Mestre Jelon Vieira moved to Europe in the 1970s, and during a trip to the US, fell for New York and had the incredible opportunity to be offered a scholarship by Alvin Ailey. He studied with Ailey, who urged him to choreograph his own work, and Vieira formed his own company in 1977. Originally called Os Capoeira da Bahia, Ailey (who went on to be a board member of the new company) suggested Vieira change the name to something easier for Americans to pronounce and understand, and so he called it DanceBrazil. Vieira was one of the first people to bring capoeira to the US, and has taught at universities all over the US and in Brazil. He has also founded other capoeira groups in the US and Brazil, including a school in Salvador where he began grooming dancers for DanceBrazil, and now several of his students dance with the company. He was also featured in a 2005 documentary about his work, though I haven't been able to find anywhere

The company currently has twelve Brazilian dancers and several musicians, including dancers originally trained in classical ballet, and others originally trained in capoeira, as well as several fantastic percussionists.

The team over at Roda Magazine produced a great short documentary about the company, so take a look:

(Also, during the New York season, DanceBrazil performed on TV, and provided some amusement in explaining to the FOX 5 anchors exactly what capoeira was.)

According to Vieira in the documentary, the company has had success with audiences, but has struggled with American critics. Judging by the latest review from the New York Times, I see what he means. I think, though, the more capoeira and Brazilian elements, and the less Ailey-type movement they can fit in a single performance, the better the reception will be.

The Ailey influence is in fact very strong, but when balanced well with other types of movement, it's a welcome addition to the fusion of Brazilian dance forms and other American modern dance influences (I think there may be some Graham in there as well). But the most breath-taking parts of the performances are the capoeira sequences and the acrobatic feats, as well as the incredible jumps. My favorite piece was A Jornada, which is akin to Ailey's "Revelations" in that it seems to be one of the company's successes and a cornerstone of the type of dance the company offers. It starts out slow and somber, and gradually picks up speed and includes some incredibly exciting sequences that were the audience's favorite out of the three pieces at the performance I saw at the Joyce. The audience was very diverse, especially for a contemporary dance performance, and the more traditional capoeira sequences were the ones that really had people on the edge of their seats.

To learn about DanceBrazil's upcoming performances, click here. See here for photos of the company, and click here to follow DanceBrazil on Facebook.

July 06, 2010

At any given time, you'll find Brazilian stars in New York, be it performers, actors, writers, singers, chefs, or composers. One of my favorite New York Brazilian stars is Marcelo Gomes, a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater. I saw him perform Romeo and Juliet with Julie Kent this week, and he was wonderful, as usual.

Marcelo has danced and trained all over the world, and has been with ABT since 1997. It made me wonder how living abroad and becoming a star has changed him, but this little interview I found makes it seem like he is a friendly, down to earth kind of guy. (I've made a couple of attempts to try to get in touch with him for an interview, with no success, so if anyone has an in, please let me know.)

After watching Marcelo dance, it's hard to repress the urge to yell, "Brasil-il-il-il," gol style. Check the ABT calendar to find out about Marcelo's upcoming performances in New York and LA this month.

July 01, 2010

The wait is over! Though the documentary Only When I Dance premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, It's officially opening in New York tomorrow. The film follows two young dancers from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and focuses on their quest to become professionals. Ever since I found out about the movie in October, I've been dying to see it and I am thrilled it is finally here. The film will be playing this week at Cinema Village, so if you're in the area, be sure to check it out! Also, you can get a discount coupon for screenings between July 2 and 4th over at BrazilNYC, where you can also find an interesting interview with the film's director.